need help on figureing out how to "weatherize" led lights for external mount

[tacomabanga19861986]

i was going to get some code 3 ledx's off my friend but he needs to add some ledx's to his pov but they dont have the sealant like the other ones do


does anyone know of something he can use to seal off the circuit board from weather? or something like companies use?


thats my only setback from getting the lights i want from him, so if anyone knows of the stuff he might can you please tell me and give a website to go to


thankx for any feedback

 

[tacomabanga19861986]

will this work?


WFLS-GL1OZ 1 oz. Waterproof Sealant Tube | Mounting Tapes & Sealant | Installation Supplies | Installation/Power Supplies/Misc | Super Bright LEDs





only thing i can think of to use is the kinda rubber sealant like people use on roof's but dont know if it will harm the innards

 

[tacomabanga19861986]

Either I answered my own question, or it still had most of y'all bumfuzzled


Will silicone work, or does it need to be rubber cement?

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Either I answered my own question, or it still had most of y'all bumfuzzled

Not entirely familiar with these lightheads, do they have lenses, and you are looking to seal them up, or are these just lightheads with no lens you are looking to coat in something to make them weather resistant?

 

[tacomabanga19861986]

dont know how to word this but


my friend has some code 3 led x's i was going to buy from him that are external serface mounts


but for him to sell me his he has some more x's that are not "sealed" from the weather, and he needs to seal them to use on his truck


all he needs is something to coat the circuit board on the back with so water and what knot doesn't harm it, the front has a lense and is already sealed, but back is not

 

[twodogs603]

I'm missing something. According to the Code 3 website the lights you are describing are sealed and waterproof. Unless he has a LEDX light head out of an interior dash light and thats what you are trying to waterproof. And if that's the case I'm not sure that's worth doing. Course anything is possible.

 

[tacomabanga19861986]

i think thats where they came from, and yea he's different, i know the ones i want are sealed, but he wants to seal the ones he has and use outside


i wonder if that stuff i found will work?


it says it seals, stays flexable, and strong, and at $.97 a tube i dont see it costing him much

 

[tacomabanga19861986]

i told him about that one stuff i posted earlier, he's going to try that and see if it works, it should be the same stuff everyone else uses

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

The only thing I would be cautious of, is if there is any heat buildup, how well the sealant would hold up, and make sure it is not flammable. The other sealants used are specced out to take any heat buildup.

 

[tvsjr]

You also have to be concerned with any chemical reactions between the compound and the circuit board (assuming you're actually dumping this directly on a circuit board), if the glue dries exothermically (generates heat) which may loosen solder joints, etc.


The right way to do this would be to use real potting compound, from somewhere like MG Chemicals. Check Mouser or Digikey as distributors.


Or, buy lightheads designed for exterior mount. That's the real right way.

 

[tacomabanga19861986]

this stuff is made for led light strips so i dont think it will hurt anything


he wants to do this to it, might check digikey or something on something else to put

 

[sheazle]

I would recommend an electronics potting epoxy. Designed specifically to cover electronic parts and protect them from the elements.

 

[chief1562]

Here you go.


Red and it should protect it if you don't break it.


Won't interact with the circutry either

 

[rwo978]

Don't try and Frankenstein a light to get it to work, because more often than not, it doesn't, and then you're out more money fixing it vs doing it right the first time. Buy the right light for the job.